


Lightning in a Bottle

by Jules1398



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Ableist Language, Chick Flick AU, Cliques, F/F, Homophobic Language, Moving, Singing Competition, islamophobic language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 20:03:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13818450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jules1398/pseuds/Jules1398
Summary: Eva is new in town. She’s moved in with her dad (acquiring an annoying stepmother and stepbrother along the way). Join her as she navigates a new school, new friends, and new romance. Who said being caught between two people was easy! Oh, and you’ll never guess what she catches her stepbrother, Isak, doing or, well WHO she catches him doing. And then, of course, there’s the revue auditions against her mortal enemy. Eva’s life has gotten all jumbled around, but she wouldn’t trade it for the world.ORnooreva chick flick au





	Lightning in a Bottle

**Author's Note:**

> AHHH IM SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS W YALL  
> Huge thanks to [Varshi](http://thatgirl-intheback.tumblr.com/) for being an amazing beta <3  
> Also thanks to [Caroline](http://femmevilde.tumblr.com/) for creating an amazing moodboard for this fic!  
> [come find me on tumblr](http://crackandcanonships.tumblr.com/)

Eva stepped into the school with her head held high. It was her first day at a new school and, to make things worse, the year had started three weeks ago. Eva's mom had decided that living with her was not the best decision because her job required her to travel lot, leaving Eva alone in the house more often than not. So now Eva had to move in with her dad, his significantly younger wife, and their foster son. 

Yeah, Eva would've taken the travelling over this any day. It was her own fault though. She refused to speak to her new step-mom or Isak, the foster kid, even though they hadn't done anything bad to her. 

She was supposed to walk to school with Isak, but she had left early so she wouldn't be forced to talk to him. If she was lucky enough, he'd wait a long time for her before realizing that she was already long gone.

She decided to walk into the school with confidence. If she was going to be cool here, she needed to project an image of power. She wore her highest heels and walked like she owned the school.

She knew that she had to find the office somehow in order to pick up her schedule and locker information. Isak was originally supposed to take her there, but now she was on her own.

So, she wandered the school for a while before somebody tapped her shoulder. It was a boy and he was  _super_  hot. He had curly black hair on top of his head paired with thick eyebrows and the greenest eyes she had ever seen.

"Are you Eva?" he asked. Christ, even his voice was attractive. And he already knew who she was? What were the chances?

She bit her lip flirtatiously and nodded. "How'd you know that?"

"Well, I knew that there was going to be a new girl named Eva today and I would have remembered seeing you around if you had been here before." Then, he winked at her.

She stared at him for a moment, unsure of how she was supposed to respond to that.

Then, the boy broke out into laughter. "I'm just messing with you. I'm Jonas, a friend of Isak's. I've seen pictures of you at his house."

She laughed along with him. 

"But seriously," Jonas said, "if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me."

"Actually," she replied, "I was wondering where the office is. I need to go get my stuff for class."

Jonas pointed down the hallway. "Down there then turn left. It should be the third door on the right."

"Thanks. It was nice meeting you, Jonas."

He smiled at her. "Really, it was my pleasure."

With Jonas' instructions, it took Eva mere minutes to locate the office. When she got there, a girl immediately greeted her.

"You must be Eva! I'm Noora. I'm here to help you get adjusted to Nissen."

Noora was beautiful. She had light blonde hair cut just to her chin and bright blue eyes. Her crimson lipstick stood out nicely against her pale skin. She looked like she could be a model, seeing as her soft features left Eva in awe. She was super attractive, but in a very different way from Jonas. Where Jonas seemed rough and playful, Noora was soft and sweet. Even her smile made Eva feel like there was nothing bad in the world. Damn, was every student at this school so stunning?

"Thanks, it's really weird starting school after everybody else," Eva admitted.

"Well, I'm here to make sure you don't get lost in the shuffle."

Eva truly was thankful for the other girl's help. She truly had to be a kind person if she was willing to help out the new girl. Eva hoped that the two of them would be able to spend time together while she was living with her dad. Maybe they could study together. Maybe something more.

* * *

 

Noora even walked her to her first class, which was Norwegian. When she got there, she sat next to a girl with wavy brown hair that looked like she was probably popular, based on the girls at Eva's previous school.

"Hi, I'm Eva. This is my first day here," she greeted.

The other girl smiled politely. "I'm Ingrid."

"It's nice to meet you," she reached over to shake the other girl's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too," Ingrid replied. "Your accent. Are you from Bergen?"

Eva raised her eyebrows. "I'm surprised that you recognized it. Most people probably just assume that I talk weird."

"I vacationed in Bergen a few summers ago to see family," Ingrid explained.

Then, a girl with sandy blonde hair rushed in, taking the seat directly behind Ingrid. "I woke up so late this morning. I didn't think I was going to make it on time." She turned to look at Eva. "Who are you?"

"I'm Eva. It's my first day here." 

The girl gave her a quick smile, but it didn't seem very sincere. "I'm Sara."

Then she turned to Ingrid and launched into some long story about her eventful morning until it was time for classes to start.

* * *

 

At lunchtime, Eva realized she was going to have to go through the struggle that she had seen way too many times on TV and in movies: figuring out where to sit. She glanced around, and found where Noora was sitting.

She was sitting with three other girls, all of them were beautiful in their own way. There was a girl with a hijab that had amazing dimples. Next to her sat a girl that had a bit more meat on her bones, but was equally beautiful, with a laugh that filled the room. Finally, there was a girl with long light blonde hair and, well, that girl obviously knew a thing or two about fashion. Eva still thought that Noora was the most beautiful out of all of them, even though each girl was stunning.

Noora waved to her, and Eva started walking toward their table until somebody grabbed her arm. It was Ingrid.

"No, you're sitting with us. You've only been here a few hours. I'm not letting you commit social suicide yet."

She sat down with Ingrid, Sara, and a pretty black girl who introduced herself as Laila. Eva looked across the room at Noora, who was staring at her sadly. She smiled at her, hoping that Noora wouldn't be too upset that she'd sat with these other girls.

"Why do you keep looking at them?" Sara asked with her nose crinkled up.

"They seem nice," Eva shrugged. "Noora helped me find everything this morning."

Ingrid shook her head. "We'll help you from now on. Trust me, you don't want to be caught dead with those girls."

"Why not?" Eva asked. They were pretty and they seemed nice. Eva didn't see any problems with that.

"Well, for starters, Sana is a Muslim, yet she's in their Russ bus, which is, like, totally against her religion," Sara started, counting off on her fingers. "Then, there's the brown-haired girl, Chris. Like, have you seen what she's wearing? Then the girl with long hair is Vilde. She was on our bus for a short time last year until we found out she was like, completely psycho. She kept trying to be in charge even though she barely contributed any money."

"What about Noora?" Eva asked. Man, these girls were super judgmental.

"She's a lesbian," Ingrid replied. "She dated the hottest guy in the school last year and then broke up with him because she liked girls instead. It was totally out of nowhere."

"We should have seen it coming," Sara added. "I mean, there  _had_  to be a reason she hung out with those other girls. After all, they're the biggest losers in the school."

They were interrupted by Isak walking up to the table. "What the fuck, Eva!" he exclaimed. "I waited 15 minutes for you, but you were already gone. You were supposed to walk to school with me!"

She shrugged, but didn't say a word.

He threw his hands up in the air. "Why do I even try talking to you at this point!" He practically yelled before walking away.

Sara nudged her. "Oh my god. You know  _Isak_?!"

Eva rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's my foster brother."

Sara's eyes widened. "Oh my god! Does he talk about me?"

"I mean, I don't really talk to him," Eva shrugged.

Sara gripped her arm. "Please, you have to get me another chance at him. We were together last year, but it ended before we could even have sex. He's probably a god in bed. I mean, look at him."

Ingrid snorted. "He isn't  _that_  hot. Plus, I heard that he was hooking up with some first-year chick. Emma, I think?"

The blonde girl shook her head. "She likes him, but I don't think they're actually a thing yet. I still have a chance."

"I love you, Sara, but I'm not sure that Isak is that interested in you anymore," Laila said, resting her hand on Sara's shoulder.

Sara crossed her arms. "Well, we still message on Facebook, so fuck all of you!"

* * *

 

After school, Isak was waiting by her locker. Eva considered turning around and hiding out in the bathroom, but he had already spotted her.

She ignored him as she opened her locker and put away her books.

"Look, I don't care if you like me. And I really don't give a shit whether you want to hang out with me or not. Karl and Helene asked me to make sure you're adjusting fine and to make sure you get home safe, so please just walk with me."

At least he was being honest.

She was wondering one thing, though. "Why do you call them Karl and Helene instead of Mom and Dad?"

He threw his arms in the air. "She speaks!"

Eva just rolled her eyes in response.

Isak shrugged. "Karl and Helene aren't my parents."

"I mean, legally, they are," she pointed out.

"They take care of me, and I'm very grateful for that. But my mom and dad aren't dead. I still get texts from them occasionally."

She was about to ask why he lived with them when they were interrupted.

"Hi, Isak!" chirped a girl with short brown hair. She looked like she was probably a first year. Eva realized that this was probably the infamous Emma.

"Hello," he replied with a brief smile.

"Do you and your friends want to join for a pre-game on Friday?" she asked.

"I'm so sorry, Emma. I'd love to, but Eva's just moved here and my foster parents have insisted on having a family game night."

Emma frowned. "Are you sure you can't get out of it?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Eva here already tried to, but they just wouldn't budge."

"Oh, that's a shame. Maybe we can hang out some time next week?" she suggested.

"I'm sure we'll figure something out," he replied.

When she was well out of earshot, Eva turned back to Isak. "We have game night on Friday?"

"No, but please keep that to yourself."

She dropped it, but wondered why he was being so cryptic.

* * *

 

There was a revue party Friday and apparently Eva  _had_  to be there. Sara and Ingrid had insisted that everyone who was anyone was going to be there. Maybe that meant that Isak's friend Jonas would be there. She wouldn't mind seeing him again, that was for sure.

Perhaps Noora would be at the party. After all, she was part of a bus too. Eva still thought she seemed like a cool girl, despite what the Pepsi Max (yes, that was the name they'd chosen for their bus) girls said. After all, a person's sexual orientation had no bearing on how cool they were.

Eva's thoughts were interrupted when she walked she bumped into Noora herself. 

"Hi!" Eva greeted. "Sorry that I ran into you. I wasn't paying much attention."

"How are you finding the school?" Noora inquired. "I see you've already made friends."

Eva nodded. "It's going pretty well. I've met so many nice people at this school. You, Jonas, Sara, Laila, Ingrid. Everybody is just so nice."

She cocked a blonde eyebrow. "Yeah, everyone is super nice here."

"Are you going to the revue party tonight?" she asked.

Noora nodded. "Well, my friends and I run the kosegruppa, which is about spreading good vibes during the revue, so of course I'm going. You should totally join. I think your foster brother is in it."

Eva nodded and bit her lip. "I think I'd like that."

* * *

 

"No, you two are not going out tonight. It's our first Friday as a family. We should spend it together," Eva's dad commanded.

"You're not my dad," Isak replied before going upstairs and slamming the door.

Helene rolled her eyes. "Teenage boys," she stated, like it explained everything.

Eva clasped her hands together and gave her dad her best puppy dog eyes. "Please, Dad. I already told people that I'd go to the revue meeting. I'm just starting to make friends, I can't ditch them."

He sighed, "Fi-"

"Absolutely not," interrupted Helene. Eva now understood exactly what Isak was thinking when he stormed out.

Eva crossed her arms. "You think you can boss me around? You're what? Eight years older than me? Yeah, you're a little young to pass as the mother of a teenager."

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked up to her room, locking the door behind her. Eva was going to the party that night, whether they her to or not.

She ate dinner with them and then went up to her room to get ready, wearing a short puffy black skirt paired with a thin black tank. She put on a lot of make-up and a pair of heels. Eva dressed to impress any hot people that came her way.

Now, there was the sneaking out part. Eva knew her dad and step-mom were watching TV in the den, so she just had to get out of the front door without making a sound. It was easier said than done, but Eva was well practiced. She had done it a lot when her mom was home.

She crept to the top of the stairs and looked around to make sure that nobody was around. When she was sure she was alone, she hurried down the stairs quietly. She opened the door as slowly as possible so that it didn't make a sound. And, like that, Eva Mohn had successfully snuck out of the house.

She saw movement in the corner of her eye and looked back to see somebody struggling out of the bathroom window. "Isak?" she called out.

"Be quiet," he commanded her. "I don't want to get caught."

"Are you going to the revue party?" she asked, "Noora said you were in kosegruppa."

He snorted. "Yeah, not by choice. I'm not going to some stupid revue party."

"Then, where are you going?" Eva inquired.

He started walking away. "Everybody has their secrets, Eva."

She shrugged before walking the other way, toward the party.

Everything was already in full swing. When she got there, she immediately spotted Sara and the other girls.

"You made it!" Ingrid shouted over the music before wrapping Eva in her arms.

She laughed in response. "Yeah, sorry I'm late. I sort of had to sneak out."

"Is Isak here?" Sara asked.

Eva shook her head. "He said he didn't want to waste his time on a revue party. His loss, I guess."

Sara frowned. "Well, I guess I'm going to go get another drink then."

Eva wanted to fix up her makeup, so she excused herself and headed toward the bathroom. When she got there, a girl was crying. It was Noora's friend with the long blonde hair. Vilde.

"Are you okay?" Eva asked.

Vilde turned to look at her and wiped off her eyes. Her mascara was running but she put on a smile. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I can get Noora for you," Eva offered.

Vilde paused for a moment before nodded. "Actually, that might be nice. Thank you."

Eva left the bathroom in search of the blonde girl. She eventually found her with a bottle of water in her hand, speaking to Sana and Chris.

"Hi, Noora," Eva greeted.

Noora's lips pulled into a smile. "Hello, Eva! I'm glad that you're here. This is Sana and Chris. I have no idea where Vilde went."

"Actually, that's why I'm here. She's crying in the bathroom," Eva explained, then added. "Not that I wouldn't have come to see you anyway."

Noora and Chris rushed to the bathroom, but Sana stayed behind.

"Look, you seem nice enough, so maybe you haven't realized this. Those girls you're hanging out with? The Pepsi Max girls? They aren't good girls. They're gossipers and mean. They would sell each other out in a heartbeat," Sana told her.

Eva raised her eyebrows. "Are you saying that I'm like that?"

The other girl shook her head. "I'm telling you to be careful, Eva. Don't get caught up with people who constantly bite others in the back."

Eva crossed her arms. "No offense, but I don't know you. I think I can choose my friends on my own, thank you."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Sana remarked before marching off toward the bathroom.

* * *

 

Eva headed back toward her friends, but stopped when she felt a hand tap her shoulder. It was Jonas.

"Hey, Eva. Is Isak here?" Jonas asked her.

She shook her head. "My dad and Helene wanted us to stay home together. I had to sneak out." 

Eva didn't know why she was lying for Isak. She didn't even like him that much. It was probably because she knew deep down that whatever his secret was, it was important.

"Damn," Jonas replied. "Well, at least you're here. You look good. Like,  _really_ good."

Eva flushed deep red. "Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself. The black button up was definitely a good choice."

He placed a hand on her waist. "You think so?"

She nodded, completely lost in his bright green eyes. "You look fantastic."

"Jonas!" shouted a dark-skinned boy as he ran up to where the two of them were standing.

Jonas turned and gave him a death glare. "What is it, Mahdi? I was a little busy."

"Magnus is so drunk right now. He's out there watering the bushes with his vomit. I need you to help me get him home," Mahdi responded.

Jonas rolled his eyes. "Classic Isak. Always ditching us when he's on Magnus duty. Sorry, Eva. We'll talk later, okay?"

Eva waved Jonas goodbye as he walked out the back door of the house.

When she finally got back to her friends, Ingrid looked pissed. "What the fuck, Eva? I thought you wanted to be my friend!"

"Huh?" She legitimately had no idea what Ingrid was going on about.

Ingrid crossed her arms. "Jonas is my ex-boyfriend. Which means that he's completely off limits. That was seriously not cool."

"Sorry, I didn't know," Eva apologized.

She decided not to mention the fact that, if they weren't dating anymore, Ingrid had no right to stop Eva and Jonas from pursuing something. These girls wanted her to stay away from a lot of people she wanted to hang out with. First Noora and now Jonas? Yeah, right. Eva was going to hang out with whoever she liked, even if she did have to keep it on the down low.

* * *

 

When she quietly opened to door to sneak back into the house, the light flicked on. Her dad was standing there in his pajamas with his arms crossed. "Where were you?"

Eva looked down. "I was at a party," she admitted.

"Really, Eva? You've lived in this house for just a few days and you're already causing problems?"

She kept looking down, unable to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Go to your room and go to bed. We can talk about this in the morning. You're lucky this time."

"Why is that?" How was she lucky? She'd gotten caught sneaking out of the house to go drink with her friends.

Her dad crossed his arms. "You're lucky because you beat Isak home. Was he at the party with you?"

She shook her head. Eva couldn't lie to her dad. He would catch her every single time.

He sighed. "Well, up to bed with you. Sleep well."

"Good night, Dad. I hope Isak comes home soon so you can sleep."

"Me too," he groaned.

* * *

 

Eva ended up getting off with a warning from her dad, thanks to Isak. He didn't come home until late Saturday morning and ended up getting grounded for a week. It didn't faze him. He would probably just sneak out again if he had to. Plus, both her dad and Helene worked full time, so he could still hang out with people after school.

Since the first day, Isak and Eva had started to walk to school together, since she was becoming decreasingly petty with him and she didn't really want to get in trouble with her dad. Usually, their walks to school were relatively quiet, as neither of them had much to say to the other, but this time, Isak spoke.

"Jonas said he saw you at the party on Friday," Isak said.

She nodded. "Yeah, we talked for a little bit. Though, Ingrid said I'm not supposed to talk to him, so that might not continue."

"Because they dated two years ago?" Isak asked incredulously. Eva hadn't realized they'd been broken up that long. Ingrid was definitely being ridiculous. "A piece of advice, Eva. Find new friends. The Pepsi Max girls are all snakes."

She stared at him. "You're not the first person to tell me that."

He shook his head. "When I dated Sara last year, all she did was talk shit about the other girls. She got exposed for it, but none of the others cared. Turns out the rest of them talk shit about each other too."

"I don't want to be known as a loser. I just started here," Eva replied.

"Okay, be friends with them." He raised his arms in defeat. "I don't care what you do. Just don't let them dictate who else you can talk to."

"I wasn't planning on it," she stated.

"Oh, and one last thing. Thanks for covering for me with Jonas," Isak said sincerely.

"I mean, it's okay to have your secrets sometimes," she assured him.

* * *

 

After arriving at school that morning, Eva went to find Noora. When she finally located her, the blonde girl was sitting in a windowsill with all of her other friends.

"Hi," she greeted them with a wave as she walked up. She turned to Vilde. "Vilde, right? Are you doing better?"

The girl smiled and nodded. "Yes. How wonderful of you to ask!"

She spotted that the Pepsi Max girls were outside through the window, so she figured it was safe to sit down with Noora and her friends.

"So," Eva began from where she sat next to Chris, "is there still time for me to join the kosegruppa?"

Noora looked at her with a surprised expression. "You want to join? You know, none of your other friends are a part of it."

Eva smiled and shrugged. "Well, you're there, aren't you?"

That made Noora break into a wide smile. "There's definitely still time to join. We are having a pre-game at my place this Friday. I'll send you the address."

"It is okay for me join still, right?" Eva asked. "I wouldn't want to intrude on your club so late into school year."

"You're kind of cute, so I think we can make an exception," she replied with a wink.

Eva blushed at the compliment. She thought Noora was cute as well, but she didn't dare say so. Sometimes it was hard for her to tell when girls were flirting with her, as flirting and friendship could be a very fine line for some women. 

With Jonas, it was easier. He was after the same thing most every guy was: sex. Noora was  _different_. She was nice to Eva from the start. Maybe that was just how she was. There was a burning question nagging at the back of Eva's mind.  _What if she was after her heart?_  She tried to ignore it. After all, she might just be a nice person looking for more friends after the girls at the school had turned on her.

If Noora was flirting with her, though, she sure was enjoying it.

* * *

 

Eva didn't like having to sneak around and lie to her new friends, but there was a lot of cool people at Nissen, and it would be a shame to ignore them.

So that's how she found herself hiding in an empty classroom after school on Wednesday, waiting for Jonas.

For a moment, she was worried that he would bring Isak right along with him, so she let out a sigh of relief when he walked in alone. "There you are, Jonas."

He crowded in close to her and grabbed her hands. "Were you waiting here long?"

She blinked up through her eyelashes and shook her head. "Where are you planning on taking me?"

His eyes bore into hers and her heart fluttered a little. "There's a skate park that I go to a lot, but it's usually fairly abandoned. Is that okay?"

Eva nodded. She wanted to spend time with him and she didn't really care where.

They waited a few minutes so that the school would clear, and then they made their way toward the skate park, walking hand in hand.

Jonas didn't have his skateboard with him, so the two of them just sat on the edge of the bowl with their feet dangling down, enjoying each other's company.

They talked for hours about absolutely everything. They talked about class, about friends, about skating, about family, really, everything.

Eva's text buzzed with a text and she opened it. It was her dad, asking when she'd be home. "I've gotta leave soon," she told him.

Jonas nodded. "Just one more thing before you go."

Suddenly, his lips were on hers and it felt like the entire world had tilted off of its axis. His lips were soft and his mouth tasted of mint, like he'd had gum earlier.

They kept kissing for a few minutes until she made herself pull away.

"See you after school tomorrow?" He asked.

Eva nodded with a smile spread across her face. "And Friday too."

* * *

 

While she was walking in the hallway with the Pepsi Max girls on Thursday, Eva spotted a poster on the wall that was advertising auditions for the revue.

"Are any of you thinking of acting in the revue?" Eva asked. She was interested in having a role in it even though she had only been at Nissen for a few weeks. Maybe the revue would be a good way to make her mark.

Sara nodded. "Of course. I'm going to play the lead. You should go out for a smaller role. Though, it is a musical, so you would have to know how to sing."

Eva didn't know why Sara assumed that she didn't have any singing talent. If she had actually listened when Eva talked, she would have known that she used to be a member of the school chorus back in Bergen. "I can sing," Eva protested.

Sara just shrugged. She didn't really care.

"Hey, Eva," Ingrid started, "do you want to go with us to a party this Friday? A few russ guys invited us."

"Sorry, I'm grounded," Eva lied. "My dad caught me sneaking back in last week, so there's no way I'm going anywhere on Friday night."

"Oh, that's a shame," Ingrid said with a frown. Eva couldn't tell for the life of her if the other girl was being sincere.

* * *

 

She spent the time between the end of school and the start of the kosegruppa party with Jonas, making out in an empty classroom.

Eva pulled back and held his hands in her own. "So, what are you doing tonight?"

He shrugged. "I was gonna hang out with Isak, but he's still grounded, so yeah. I might just chill and watch a movie. Until then, this is good."

Eva decided not to tell him that her dad had ended up letting Isak off the hook the night before.

"Do you maybe want to go to a party with me tonight?" she asked him.

"Hmm," he pondered for a moment. "Are you sure Ingrid won't get mad at you?"

She shook her head. "They're going to a different party."

He nodded. "It sounds like fun. I just don't want people to get the wrong idea though."

Eva scrunched up her eyebrows. "And, what's the wrong idea?"

Jonas bent over to press a soft kiss to her lips. "That we're a couple."

* * *

 

Eva decided to walk home alone and she spent the entire time crying. She knew that she shouldn't blame Jonas. After all, they had only been hooking up for two days. But, since he had dated Ingrid in the past, she was risking a lot by spending time with him.

The thing was, although she loved the kissing and she knew that she would love the sex, she wanted more. Eva wanted a relationship. She wanted to have somebody in her life that she could trust completely and it was hard to make true friendships after moving in the middle of the year. 

Eva wanted somebody that she could kiss and cuddle. Someone that would take her on dates. Somebody to make a promise with. A promise that they would only be with each other. And one day, though it may not be for a long time, Eva wanted to fall in love.

But Jonas didn't seem to want the same. He just wanted her body. It was fun, but it didn't really make her feel any less alone.

She laid in her bed for an hour, silently sobbing, before she forced herself to pull it together and get ready for the kosegruppa party.

Noora had told her that it was a neon themed party, so she threw on a bright yellow tank over a white t-shirt and wore hot pink pants. She pulled her hair out of her face with a neon yellow headband. And then, she was ready to go.

When she arrived, Vilde was there to greet her. "It's so nice that you came!" she explained as she put a necklace with a pink glow stick around Eva's neck. 

Eva smiled. "I'm happy to be here."

Vilde grabbed green face paint and grabbed Eva's chin, painting two horizontal lines on each cheek and then grabbed pink face paint and put a vertical line in the middle of her forehead. "Now you're ready for the party. Noora is in the living room," she said with a wink.

Eva smiled. "Thank you, Vilde."

She walked over to where Noora was standing and talking to a man and a woman. "Hi, Noora! You've got a really nice apartment."

Noora pulled her into a hug. "Thanks for coming." Then she pointed to the people she had been talking too. "This is Eskild." She gestured toward the man, who was wearing a pink wig. "And Linn." She pointed to the woman with red hair. "They're my roommates. Guys, this is my friend Eva."

"Nice to meet you," Linn said in a quiet voice, not seemed overly excited.

Eskild, however, rushed to shake Eva's hand. "Noora has told us so much about you, Eva. I'm so happy that you came and are enjoying the apartment. If you need somewhere to crash, you can always stay in Noora's room-"

"Eskild," Noora cut him off. "Why don't the two of you go help Vilde welcome people?"

"But-" Eskild started, before Linn pulled him away toward the door.

"Well, they seem nice," Eva said.

Noora laughed. "Yeah, they might be too much at times. And they're such different people, even though they're best friends. You'll learn to love them."

Eva's heart jumped at the thought of spending enough time with Noora to become friends with her roommates.

"I'm happy to see you here," Noora told her.

Eva nodded. "I wish that we were able to spend more time together," she admitted.

Noora looked her in the eyes. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Eva replied.

"Why do you hang out with those girls?"

Eva paused for a moment. "They're not so bad. Maybe they're just insecure."

Noora raised an eyebrow. "You know, Eva, insecure or not, being an asshole is a choice."

She looked away. "Yeah, but I don't know. I'll figure it out."

Noora stepped closer to her and placed her hands on her waist. "Can I help you decide?" she asked.

Eva's pupil blew wide as she nodded. Noora was so close to her and, god, did she look absolutely stunning.

Noora moved to whisper in her ear. "I'm going to kiss you now."

Eva nodded again and closed her eyes as their lips slowly met. She tasted like cherry cola and Eva smiled at the sweetness. She put her hands on back of the blonde girl's head and lightly massaged her behind her ears with her thumbs as they continued to kiss. Eva didn't even care that her mouth was going to be covered in the other girl's smudgy lipstick. For a moment, it felt like everything in the world was perfect.

And then, of course, it all came crashing down when Eva's thoughts caught up to her. God, what was she thinking? She had just been kissing Jonas hours before, but now she had her mouth on somebody else? Eva may not have been dating either of them, but she still felt guilty.

"I'm going to go get some water," she said before hastily heading toward the kitchen.

Noora didn't follow her. Instead, she just stood there with smeared lipstick, staring after Eva a she ran away. She was frowning slightly. Running away had surely hurt Noora, but Eva was too confused to go back.

Eva tried to take deep breaths. Everything was okay, she just had kissed two incredibly hot people in one day. She wasn't panicking because Noora was a girl. Eva had known that she was bisexual since she first found out what the word meant. Eva was freaking out because two different people that she was attracted to wanted to hook up with her and she couldn't be seen with either of them.

When she walked into the kitchen, there were two guys in there and they were heavily making out. The one that she had a better view of was tall and wearing a tight white t-shirt with a neon yellow headband in his light blonde hair. And the other guy?

It was Isak.  Now she knew why he had been sneaking around.

She stood there with wide eyes for what felt like eternity before either of them noticed that she was there.

"Fuck!" Isak's eyes widened. "Eva, what are you doing here?"

"Getting water," she replied, unable to move. "You know it's okay that you're-"

"Don't speak so loud!" Isak exclaimed. "You can't tell anybody."

Eva shook her head. "I mean, of course I won't, but you two aren't doing yourselves any favors by making out in the kitchen at a crowded party."

The other guy snorted. " _This_  is your sort-of sister? I like her."

Isak shoved him a little. "Even here doesn't have a lot of self-control."

"I don't have self-control?" Even put a hand on his heart. "Excuse me, but you were the one giving me sex eyes all evening!"

"I told you, Even. Those are just my regular eyes when they look at you."

Even smirked. "So, you always want to have sex with me?"

Isak smiled and rolled his eyes again. "Well, yeah but-"

"Okay, I'm leaving. I won't tell anybody that you two are grossly in love," Eva said, walking out of the room.

She decided that she was just going to head home. Too much had happened in the span of a day. She wiped her lips off with the inside of her shirt so that it wouldn't be obvious that she had just been making out with a girl, since she didn't want it to get back to Jonas or the Pepsi Max girls.

When she was halfway home, her phone pinged with a message. She opened it to see it was from Sara to the Pepsi Max group chat.

_Sara (22:49): I think that Eva should be kicked out of our group, seeing as she's a boyfriend stealing slut._

Attached was a picture of her kissing Jonas in the classroom earlier that day.

Eva had never felt so alone.

* * *

 

The next morning, Eva and Isak sat together on the stoop. Her face was completely clear of make-up. She wasn't feeling up for putting any on. She wore black t-shirt and gray sweats. Isak was wearing a white shirt and beige pants. Each of them had a cup of coffee in their hands to help make waking up a little more bearable.

"Thanks for not telling Karl or Helene about me and Even," he said, staring out into the street.

"It's none of my business," she replied, "Though, they wouldn't care, you know. My dad has known that I'm bi for years and I assume he's passed on the message at some point."

Isak shook his head. "I know it's kinda fucked, but the reason I don't want to tell them is because of my real parents."

She turned to look at him, but he kept his gaze on the street. "Are they homophobic?"

He shrugged. "No, well I don't know. My dad wouldn't care. I don't really know about my mom. But, I don't want Karl and Helene to know before I tell them."

"You still talk to them?" Eva was genuinely surprised. She had figured that Isak was some poor abused child that had been plucked off the streets.

He nodded. "Mostly they text me and I don't respond. I text my older sister nearly every day though."

"If your parents still care about you, why are you in foster care?" She hoped it wasn't too intrusive of a question.

"It's complicated," he replied. "My mom is really sick, so she's in and out of psychiatric care. And then my dad only wants to be in my life on his own terms. They decided that I should be in a home that I don't run away from every other day."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay now," he chuckled. "I've only run away from Karl and Helene once."

"What?" Eva had yet to hear this story.

Isak let out a breathy laugh. "I had just moved here and I wasn't much enjoying living with complete strangers. So, I ran away for like a week and slept in Noora's basement. Of course, she didn't know about it. Eskild helped me. I met him back when I first ran away from my biological parents, but that's a different story. They didn't call the police or anything since they saw that I wasn't missing class. Helene has some sort of like, fertility issues or something, so I was their only chance to have a kid. Lord knows why they chose a grown one. If social services found out, they'd never get one. I came back as soon as I needed cash, and I kinda felt bad for putting them through that, so I stayed ever since. Even if I'm kind of an asshole to them sometimes."

"You know what, Isak?" Eva said in reply. "I'm actually kind of happy that you decided to stay."

"And, Eva? I'm happy that you had to move here." He turned his head to meet her eyes with a smile.

Eva was about to get up when he grabbed her wrist. "One more thing."

She sat back down. "What?"

"Jonas," Isak explained. "I heard what happened and I'm sorry if he came off as a douche. He likes you, he does. He's just-"

"Afraid of commitment?" Eva filled in.

"Yeah, or no. Not exactly." Isak stopped a moment to gather his thoughts. "He's afraid to be official with a girl again, but he won't sleep with anyone else while he's hooking up with you. He's not really that kind of guy. Jonas just needs time."

She crossed her arms. "Why should I give him time if he doesn't want to date me?"

"No, he does want to date you, he's just scared," he explained.

Eva furrowed her eyebrows. What about her was frightening? "Why?"

"Last year he dated this third-year girl and, fuck," Isak shook his head. "he really fell for her. She was cheating on him the entire time with multiple guys. I tried to tell him, but he was convinced that I was just jealous because I had just broken up with Sara. During russetime we got into a bunch of fights and after one of them, he showed up at her bus because he wanted to see her. She was hooking up with another guy."

Eva frowned. "That really sucks."

He nodded. "So, when Jonas says you're not a couple, take it more as a not yet. He really digs you."

Eva felt more conflicted than ever. The two people she liked were both really into her as well and she was going to have to choose. At least she didn't have to worry about the expectations of the Pepsi Max girls any more.

* * *

 

When she walked into school on Monday morning, it felt like every single student was staring at her. Great, so either they had heard about Jonas or the party. Or both. She walked to her locker to find a note taped to it.

It just said "slut" and it was most definitely written in blood.

Eva wanted to cry. Not only were these girls not her friends anymore, but they were harassing her. Noora probably wouldn't want her company after she had run out on Friday. Eva found herself alone, just like the first time she had walked into school, but without the confidence that she had before.

"What the fuck? Who the fuck does that?" Said Isak. Eva jumped. She hadn't realized he was standing next to her. 

When she caught her breath, she muttered, "Probably Ingrid and Sara."

Isak rolled his eyes. "They need to grow the fuck up. I just heard that Sara told everyone about you and Jonas and painted it like you were somehow stealing him from Ingrid. I just wanted to tell you that you always have a place at our lunch table if you want it."

"I don't know. I might try to sit with Noora and them," Eva replied.

He nodded. "They're good people. Sana and I are best buds, though she might not admit it."

Eva drew him into a hug. "Thanks for being nice to me, Isak. Even though I was really shitty to you before."

He put his chin on top of her head. "I wasn't the most welcoming either."

* * *

 

The morning was awful. Sara and Ingrid loudly whispered about her during Norwegian even though she was sitting right next to them. Nobody would talk to her, but everyone was more than content to talk about her. So, yeah, it was a rough morning.

When she sat down at Noora's table, everybody except Sana looked up at her with wide eyes. "Can I sit here or?"

Noora quickly nodded. "Of course, Eva. We're your friends."

"Besides," Sana added. "Isak told me you might sit with us today."

Noora stared at her. Obviously, Sana hadn't passed on the message.

Chris leaned over the table to give Eva a high five. "Welcome to the coolest '99 bus in the school."

"We are definitely not the coolest," Vilde replied, with a roll of her eyes.

"Yes, we are," insisted Chris. "It's just that not everybody has gotten the memo yet."

After the bell, Eva walked the wrong way to class because she wanted to speak with Noora. "Hey, I'm sorry I ran out on Friday."

Noora shoved her hands in her pockets. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just kissed you like that."

"No, Noora." Eva shook her heard. "It was nice. I'm just figuring stuff out with Jonas right now. Or, well, I don't know. I'm still trying to decide what's best for me."

Noora turned to walk into a classroom but stopped in the doorway. "Just remember this, Eva. I'll be here."

Eva nodded, stunned. She didn't expect that Noora would be willing to wait for her. She knew that Jonas probably wouldn't wait for her, though, despite that fact that Isak had told her that she was going to have to wait for him. Eva had to figure things out soon.

* * *

 

Jonas and Eva had made plans to hang out on Wednesday night at his house since his parents wouldn't be home until late that night but, when she showed up, his sister, Thea, opened the door and led her into the living room, where she saw Jonas, Isak, Magnus, and Mahdi sitting on the couch, all high off their asses.

She crossed her arms and glared at Jonas. "I thought we were going to hang out today."

"Shit, I forgot I guess," he shrugged. "You can still hang out with us."

Eva raised her eyebrows. "Really, Jonas?"

Magnus nodded in agreement. "That's kind of fucked up bro, treating your girlfriend like this."

"We're not dating," they said in unison.

The three boys shared a glance, seeming unconvinced. It was silent for a moment until Isak spoke up.

"I mean, you still shouldn't treat your friends like that, Jonas." God, Eva was glad to finally have him on her side.

Eva's phone buzzed with a text.

Noora (15:27)

Hey, what are you doing right now? Do you want to hang out?

"I think I'm gonna go," Eva said to the boys.

Jonas grabbed her shoulder. "You really don't have to."

She shook her head. "I have other stuff to do."

When she left, she could swear that Jonas actually looked sad to see her go. If he liked her, he needed to commit, not blow her off.

* * *

 

She met with Noora at a nearby Kaffebrenneriet. Upon arrival, she was surprised to see a very familiar barista.

"Hi, Even," Eva said. "I didn't know you worked here."

"It's lovely to see you, Eva," Even replied with a smile. "What can I get for you? It's on the house this time, but don't get used to that. If my boss finds out, she'll throw a fit."

Eva laughed. "Just a small chai."

"Coming right up," Even said with a wink.

When Eva received her drink and went to sit with Noora, the other girl's eyes were wide. "You know Even Bech Næsheim?"

Eva nodded. "Yeah, he's a friend of Isak's. Why?"

"He's the school's mystery," Noora explained. "There are a ton of rumors flying around about him."

"Really?" she asked, hoping that Isak wasn't about to be outed by people at school who couldn't keep their mouths shut. "What do they say?"

"I don't know whether or not any of this is true, but I heard that he redid his third year here for some reason, even though he attended Bakka last year."

Eva raised her eyebrows. She didn't know that Even had a girlfriend. She was going to have to talk to Isak about that soon. 

"Sorry if I'm overstepping my bounds. It isn't really any of my business," The blonde girl apologized.

"No, you're fine," Eva assured her. "I just didn't know that he was so famous."

"He's pretty much been the biggest topic of conversation since I broke up with William," Noora explained. "It's nice that not everything is about me anymore."

"What was the deal with him anyway?" Eva asked. "Was he a cover or something?"

Noora shook her head. "I think I convinced myself that I liked him because I was supposed to. He was always nicer to me than other girls, so I just went with it. He lives in London now. We still text from time to time."

Eva nodded. "I'm glad that everything worked out."

"I mean, it did and it didn't," Noora replied. "I still get a lot of shit from people at school. Particularly Sara and Ingrid's crew."

She laughed half-heartedly in response. "Yeah, I've come to realize that they aren't the best people to associate with."

"I've heard the rumors. You don't deserve that shit from them. They think they're the best people in the school. Somebody needs to take them down a peg or two."

Eva's eyes widened in realization. "I know how to get back at them! I'm going to audition for the revue and get the part that Sara has been lusting after."

Noora gave her a high-five. "You've got this, girl. Me and the other girls are here for you. You'll do great."

"You haven't even heard me sing," Eva pointed out.

The blonde girl grinned. "Yet I still know that you are going to be fantastic."

Eva really wanted to kiss her again, right then and there, but for some reason, she didn't.

* * *

 

Eva practiced singing every chance she could get. There was no way she was going to let Sara beat her out for the role. 

She was singing in the bathroom when somebody pounded on the door. Eva nearly jumped before calling back, "Just a minute!"

"I know you're just singing in there," Isak called back. "Open the door so we can chat."

She twisted the handle and threw it open. "What do you want?"

Helene, who had just left her bedroom, gave Eva a dirty look before walking down the stairs.

"I need you out of the house tonight," Isak said when she was well out of earshot.

Eva scrunched up her eyebrows. "Why? I need to practice for auditions. They're this Thursday."

"Karl and Helene are staying up north for her mom's birthday," he replied.

"And?"

"Even is coming over," Isak clarified.

Her eyes widened. "Oh. Um, yeah I can-"

Isak nodded. "Great, thanks. Talk to you later."

"Isak, wait!" She yelled after him.

He turned around. "Yes, Eva?"

She came forward and placed her hand upon his shoulder. "I don't know how to tell you this, but Even has a girlfriend."

Isak broke out laughing. "Yeah, no he doesn't. He and Sonja broke up like two months ago. I see you're listening to the school rumors now, though. Be careful, they tend to be unnecessarily mean  _and_  inaccurate."

"I just heard" she protested.

He shook his head, smiling. "No worries. I've gotta run though. See you later?"

She nodded. "Bye, Isak."

After he left, Eva pulled out her phone to text Noora, but then saw she had gotten a text from somebody else.

Jonas (7:43)

Hey, can we talk after school? It's important.

* * *

 

"I'm worried about Isak," Jonas announced once they sat down on his couch. "He's been really distant lately. It's almost like he's hiding something. Even Magnus is starting to see it and that boy is dense as fuck sometimes."

She shrugged her shoulders in response. "You're going to have to talk to him about it."

He squinted at her. "You know something, don't you?"

"No," Eva lied.

Jonas squinted, seeming unconvinced. "But, you would tell me if there was something seriously wrong, right? I'm his best friend. I care about him."

Eva nodded. "If it came to that, then yes. I'm his sister. I care too."

"I want him to be safe," Jonas added.

She decided to change the subject. "I think we should talk about something else. Like about whatever is going on between us."

Jonas went quiet for a moment before replying with, "Do we have to?"

"Don't be so childish," Eva said, rolling her eyes. "You're nearly an adult, you can talk about your feelings."

He nodded. "I guess that's fair. Let's talk."

"If you don't want to date me, then just tell me."

Jonas was silent for a moment. "I just don't know if I'm ready to jump into a relationship so quickly after what happened with Isabel."

"Okay, then it's over," Eva announced. "There's somebody else in my life that actually wants to be with me."

He nodded. "We can be friends, though."

"Of course," she replied.

"Make sure he treats you right."

Eva smiled. "I know that she will."

They spent most of the night playing FIFA and, even though she wasn't that great at it, it was nice playing video games with a friend.

A bit after 11:00, her phone started buzzing. It was her dad.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Hi, Eva?" he answered.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Where are you? It's after curfew."

_Shit._  

"I'm at a friend's house. I accidentally fell asleep on her couch and I'm on my way back now," Eva lied. "What happened to the trip?"

"Helene got sick and we had to come home," he explained.

"Oh, that stinks. Is everything okay back home?"

"I'll deal with Isak separately," he stated in a stern voice.

"Is he-" she started.

"I will deal with him separately. Get home now."

* * *

 

Eva closed the door quietly when she arrived back at the house, but it didn't really matter. There was no way that anything could be heard over her dad's yelling.

"We saved you from that house, and this is how you thank us?!"

She followed the sound of his voice to the living room. Isak was sitting on the couch, crying, and Helene was nowhere to be seen.

Her dad continued. "This is absolutely disgusting. You live with three other people. We all sit on that couch."

Holy shit, they caught them fucking on the couch. Eva's dad was right. That was disgusting. They could at least have the common decency to move it to the bedroom. You can stick bedsheets in the washing machine, not an entire couch.

"I'm so sorry, Karl," Isak sobbed. "Don't send me back home. I love it here. I love having friends here. I love having a sister again."

Her dad's face softened. "Isak, of course you can stay. You're a part of this family. It's just that you need to be respectful of shared parts of the house. Please just keep it to your bedroom next time."

Isak wiped the tears from his face and nodded.

"And I would love to meet your boyfriend for real some time, okay?"

"Okay, I'll invite him over for dinner or something," Isak replied.

Her dad leaned down and wrapped his arms around him. "You're my son and I'm so happy to have you here. Now go get some sleep."

"Thanks, Dad."

Isak got up and walked upstairs to his room. Her dad ventured over to where she was standing.

"Now where were you really hanging out tonight?" he inquired.

"I was playing video games with Jonas," Eva admitted.

"Isak's Jonas?"

She nodded.

"Are you being safe?" he asked.

"We're just friends, Dad," she assured him. "I have feelings for somebody else."

"Okay, kiddo. I trust you. Just be careful."

"I will," Eva promised.

* * *

 

"Stop freaking out about the audition. You're going to do great," Isak assured her, like it would do anything to minimize her nerves.

She crossed her arms. "You're just saying that."

He rolled his eyes. I've heard you singing nonstop for the past week and you're definitely better than Sara is."

"How do you know that?" Eva asked.

"I dated her last year, remember?"

"Oh right." Eva had nearly forgotten.

"Hi, Isak!" chirped a brunette before sliding in between them, facing toward him. It was Emma, once again popping up unwanted.

"Uh what's going on, Emma?" Isak replied, less than enthusiastically.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out soon. I feel like we haven't talked in like forever." Damn, this girl could not take a hint.

Isak put his hands on her shoulders. "Look, Emma. I'm sorry but I'm not interested."

She crossed her arms. "You're such an asshole."

Eva raised her eyebrows. This girl needed to realize that she wasn't entitled to any guy she wanted just because she had a nice body.

Isak snorted. "Yeah, well my boyfriend doesn't seem to think so."

"Oh," Emma said, her eyes widening, before she quickly and awkwardly walked away, almost bumping into a few people who were walking down the hallway.

Eva shook her head. "At least that's over with."

He nodded. "I should probably tell the boys before she spreads it around the school."

"Have you talked to Jonas recently?" she asked.

Isak shook his head. "It's been a busy weekend. Why? Have you?"

"Yeah," Eva nodded. "We've decided just to be friends."

"Maybe that's for the best. He's definitely not ready for a relationship, but I happen to know that he is an amazing friend."

Eva smiled. "Yeah, he's super chill. Plus, I like another person anyway."

Isak nodded. "Noora is a very nice girl. She'll treat you right."

"How did you know?" 

Isak grinned. "I am your brother, aren't I? I have to go meet Jonas before class, but good luck on your audition. I know you'll blow them away!"

Eva smiled. She hadn't known Isak for that long, but it was like they had been siblings since birth.

* * *

 

Before walking on the stage to audition, Eva had to force her nerves to stay hidden. Sara had just gone and, wow, was she good. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure that she could beat her.

"Eva Mohn," called the drama teacher, Mrs. Skrulle.

She took one final breath before strutting onto the stage with a fake smile.

"Good luck, slut. You'll need it," Sara whispered to her as she passed.

"Thanks, but I know that I'll blow her away," Eva whispered back before flipping her hair over her shoulder and making her way toward the microphone.

"You may start now," said Mrs. Skrulle.

Eva nodded at the pianist and took in a deep breath. And then, she sang.

While she was singing, Eva was carried away to another dimension. She was alone, but not lonely. Her emotions were tied slowly to the lyrics and the notes of the music. For the length of the song nothing mattered: not Sara, not Jonas, not her parents, not even Noora. In that moment, she was no longer Eva. She was just a voice, carrying a song to the ears of anyone who was willing to listen.

When it was over, she closed her eyes for a moment, until a clapping song jolted her out of her chance. It was Mrs. Skrulle, who was standing up, clapping feverishly. 

"I know it isn't very professional to say this, but that was the best audition I have ever seen, and I have seen way too many auditions," the teacher admitted.

Eva blinked a few times before smiling. "Thank you so much!"

Mrs. Skrulle wrote something down on her clipboard before taking her seat once again. "Results will be posted after school tomorrow, but things are looking pretty good for you."

* * *

 

When Eva walked out of the auditorium she was practically tackled to the ground by her friends.

"We're so proud of you!" Chris shouted.

Eva laughed. "I haven't gotten the part yet."

"But all of us know that you will," Sana pointed out.

"Let's all go get dinner together," suggested Noora and everyone murmured in agreement. Magnus nearly jumped for joy. He must've been real hungry.

When Eva walked out of the school, she was surrounded by her true friends.

* * *

 

"You fucking bitch!" Sara practically shouted as she stomped toward their lunch table on Friday. Ingrid followed close behind. "You stole my fucking role!"

"Sara, if it was your role, then they wouldn't have held auditions," Eva pointed out calmly.

"Well, you of all people obviously don't deserve it. Especially now that everybody in the school knows how much of a loser you really are," she replied, crossing her arms.

"I'm happy and I got the part, so am I really the loser?"

"Just look at the people you hang out with," Sara said, starting to count off on her fingers. "You hang out with the lesbian, the terrorist, a fat chick, the homeless girl, the drug-dealer, and the weird desperate guy. On top of that, your brother is a fag and the guy you're fucking is a fucking worthless stoner."

Ingrid's mouth dropped open. "What the fuck did you just say about Jonas? Also, everything you just said was really fucking offensive. You go on and on about how you're better than your dad's bullshit, but you say the same shit he does!"

She flipped Sara off and stormed away, leaving the blonde girl speechless. Everybody at the table shared a look and it seemed like every person in the cafeteria was staring.

A pretty blonde girl walked up from another table, heels clicking on the tile floor. "Hey, Sara, I just heard that and you can forget about buying the bus next year. I'm not selling our bus to a group that perpetuates hatred."

Sara huffed and walked away.

It was Magnus who broke the silence. "Man, that girl sucks. I can't believe you dated her, Isak."

The entire table nodded in agreement.

* * *

 

After school that day, Eva practically sprinted to get to Noora's locker before she left. Somehow, sending a text didn't seem good enough.

"Hi, Noora," she panted upon arrival.

Noora raised an eyebrow, "Hello to you too."

"You know that party that we were planning on going to with everybody?"

"Yeah?" Noora nodded.

"Let's skip it ang hang out, just the two of us," Eva suggested.

Noora smiled. "That sounds really nice. Pick me up at eight?"

"It's a date."

* * *

 

"Where are you going, dressed up so nice? Jonas said you weren't going to the party," Isak asked, as he entered her room.

"I have a date," Eva explained, adjusting her top in front of the mirror.

Isak smiled at her. "Really? Congrats!"

"Is Even going to be at the party?" she inquired.

"Yeah," Isak said, slightly blushing. "It's time to officially introduce him to the boys. I should be nervous, but somehow I know that he'll fit right in."

Eva nodded. "He's a great guy."

"The best," he agreed.

"Hmm I don't know about that." She turned to Isak. "You're pretty great," she said, lightly punching his arm.

"You know, I called my sister last week and told her about you," Isak remarked.

"Yeah?"

"Yep," he nodded. "She said she was afraid she was being replaced, but I told her that there was plenty of room for two sisters in my heart."

Eva pulled him into a hug. "Thank you for being my brother."

"I don't know how I lived so long without you in my life," he replied.

* * *

 

When Noora walked out of her apartment, she looked beautiful. She was wearing her signature bright red lipstick along with a gray turtleneck, light skinny jeans, and black heeled boots. Her short blonde hair was whipping around in the wind.

"Wow," Eva remarked. "You look beautiful."

Noora laughed. "I was thinking the same thing about you. Where on earth did you get that dress?"

"This?" Eva looked down, like she somehow forgot what she was wearing. "Oh, I got it from this thrift store in Bergen."

"Maybe you'll have to take me there someday."

Eva smiled brightly. "I hope so. There's so many things that I want to show you in Bergen."

Noora grabbed her hand. "One day, but where are we going now?"

* * *

 

Eva took her to a kebab chain for their first date and immediately realized that it was probably a stupid place to go.

"I'm sorry if this if disappointing it's just that I'm new here and Isak said this is the best place to eat and-"

Noora held a finger up to her lips. "Shhh. It's you, so it's perfect."

Eva nodded dreamily. She was falling so fast for this girl.

Throughout the night, they laughed and ate while walking around the city. They talked about so much random stuff, and Eva felt closer to Noora than ever.

Eventually, after their kebabs were long gone, they reached Noora's apartment once again.

"Well, this is me," she announced, seeming hesitant to head inside.

Eva knew that this was her chance to make her move. She placed both of Noora's hands in her own. "I had a fantastic night."

Noora nodded, gazing into her eyes. "I did too."

Then, Eva finally made the first move. She leaned in and pressed her lips against the blond girl's, not caring about how much red lipstick was going to be on her face afterward. Noora knew it was coming so she met it with an open mouth, letting Eva's tongue in. It was far less awkward than the first time because it was expected and they knew each other now. They kissed and they kissed and who knows how much time passed, before Eva's phone alarm started going off.

She turned it off quickly and frowned a little. "It's 10:30. I have to start heading home."

"It's okay. I would choose you not being grounded over staying over any day," Noora replied.

Eva raised her eyebrows. "Wow. Am I that bad of a kisser?"

The blond girl laughed. "No, you're amazing at that. It's just that if you're grounded, then I can't see you. Besides, we can do this again another time. When it isn't so late."

"When?" she asked.

Noora shrugged her shoulders. "Tomorrow, the next day, anytime. Eva Mohn, we have all the time in the world.

Eva grinned the entire walk home because Noora was right. They had each other and that was all that mattered.


End file.
